FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT COMPUTER SOFTWARE - PAGE 5

A.W. Faber-Castell Consulting USA Inc., the computer software division of one of the world's largest pencil manufacturers, has moved its one-man headquarters from Germany to Hampton. The company plans to relocate another four people from Germany and by 1999 hire up to 50 people here, according to the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council, which announced the move Wednesday. Faber-Castell Consulting opened its office in Hampton's business incubator - designed to help small businesses get off the ground by sharing resources - earlier this month.

Q: I have purchased a computer software program that I want to use to prepare for retirement. The program requires me to make a number of assumptions. The biggest have to do with inflation and rates of return on my investments. What type of assumptions should I make? A: I suggest preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. As you begin planning for retirement, through a computer software program or otherwise, it's critical not to delude yourself. By taking a conservative approach to planning, you will increase your odds of finding yourself on the right side of the equation.

A bunch of local athletes take a test prior to every season, but not in the classroom. The answers to this test will be used later, only if they are recovering from a head injury. A computer software program that tracks their recoveries is gaining wider use in local high schools. It's called ImPACT - Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, and is used all the way up to the professional sports level. York County schools started using it in the fall 2006.

Finance used to be his specialty. But for the past nine years, computers have been Fred Fortin's main interest. In 1982, Fortin established Entre Computer Center of Hampton, a computer sales, service and training store franchised by an Exton, Pa.-based company. While setting up computers for different businesses, Fortin says he discovered a growing need: People want to upgrade their computer and software skills. In July, Fortin set up Entre Learning Center of Hampton, a computer classroom training center for businesses.

The Army's Training and Doctrine Command is reviewing how it handles its contracts in the wake of a recent government report that said a unit of the Fort Monroe-based command mishandled a multi-million project. The office of the unit involved - the Collective Training, Instrumentation and Engagement Systems Directorate - was abuzz with the news on Monday, employees said. CTIES is part of TRADOC's Army Training Support Center at Fort Eustis. Many of the allegations of conflict of interest and mismanagement of money leveled by the General Accounting Office - the investigating arm of Congress - were not new around the office, said several current and former employees who asked not to be named.

Toughening its stance on drug abuse, the Middlesex County School Board adopted a policy Monday that allows it to suspend or fire teachers and other employees found with illegal drugs on school property. The same personnel policy covers use of controlled substances by school employees off school property. It allows the School Board to fire an employee who used "alcohol, narcotics, hallucinogens, depressants, stimulants or marijuana" if the use affects ability to work or if it "generates publicity or circumstances which adversely affect the school division or its employees."

Here are some answers to the questions posed most often by readers about our new stock pages: Q: Why are so many stock names printed in bold type today? A: To highlight all the stocks we have added to our daily report at the request of readers who called us last week. Our daily stock report includes the 1,500 most-traded issues on the New York Stock Exchange, the top 1,000 Over-The-Counter issues, and the top 500 American Exchange issues. But we can add any stock traded regularly on any of those three exchanges, regardless of how thinly it trades.

RACK 'EM The National Billiards Company of Cincinnati, Ohio has patented a new triangle called the Undestructable Triangle. It's a combination polyurethane-polypropylene that will not stretch out of shape but will not warp or crack either. It should last a lifetime. $16.99 at Long's Billiard Supply. SAND RAKE Being in the sand trap is bad enough. Not having a rake or forgetting to do it is worse. Rude, in fact. The Pocket Rake folded measures 5," x 2b" and fits easily into a pocket or golf bag. Expanded, it measures 9" x 2b" and attaches to a golf club handle in seconds.

NEW FOOD LABELING LAWS TO BE DISCUSSED YORK - Charity Singletary, the Food and Drug Administration's consumer affairs officer for Virginia and Washington, D.C., will discuss the new FDA food labeling rules at a meeting of the York County Extension Homemakers Club at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (April 9) in Room 21, St. Luke's Methodist Church, 300 Ella Taylor Road, York County. The public is invited. For more information, call Louise Hern, 898-3633. PLAYERS TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR `1776' POQUOSON - The Poquoson Island Players will be holding auditions for "1776" at 7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday at the Poquoson Middle School auditorium, 985 Poquoson Ave. in Poquoson.

JOIN FOUNDATION FOR FREE TREES Ten free American redbud trees will be given to each person who joins The National Arbor Day Foundation during April. The free trees are part of the nonprofit foundation's Trees for America campaign. The 10 shade trees are red oak, weeping willow, sugar maple, green ash, thornless honey locust, pin oak, river birch, tulip tree, silver maple and red maple. The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting in April or May with enclosed planting instructions.